


magnus, you're the only one

by grey_dawn



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Canon Compliant, Coffeeshop AU, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Young Alec Lightwood, but still canon compliant, mention of Starkweather, mention of simon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:40:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey_dawn/pseuds/grey_dawn
Summary: "I'm so sorry to intrude. Where are my manners? My name's Magnus."Alec meets Magnus five years before Clary comes into the picture — at a coffeeshop, no less. Alec is flustered and panicky. And he thinks Magnus is a mundane. He buys Magnus coffee and thinks he'll never meet Magnus again.Thank the Angel he did.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 22
Kudos: 145





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> it's been a few years since i've written anything but these two are adorable! i aimed for 5k but... it went a little beyond that. they meet again after clary comes in, of course.
> 
> written to be tv compliant — didn't read the books. i hope you enjoy it!

"You ready for your first solo mission?" Jace is only jostling Alec, though, and claps Alec over the shoulder. He smirks in that infuriating, infuriatingly devilish way that makes Alec's mouth go dry and forget to clap Jace back.

_Casual. Stay casual._ "Ready as I'll ever be," Alec shoots back, and if his words are a little wobbly, Jace probably pays him too little attention to notice. "What, are you jealous?"

"That mission's a total bore and you know it. Why'd you even take it up?"

"So I wouldn't have to babysit you." Alec is pretty proud of himself for saying that. Jace is too, it seems, because he's satisfied and only laughs as he exits the command centre, leaving his _parabatai_ to pore over the file he's just been given.

_Name: Natalie M. Galvez_

_Type: Mundane_

_Age: approximately 25_

_Additional information: Eldest daughter of the Galvez syndicate. Known affiliations with rogue Werewolves and Vampires. Approach with caution._

From a purely objective standpoint, this woman is impressive. The New York Institute has been troubled by the Galvez family for generations, ever since one of Natalie's great-great... great grandfathers got involved with the Downworld and figured out just how profitable vampire dens could be. The family business only grew from there, and now Alec has the unenviable job of tailing Natalie to gain intel on the next werewolf cage fight. It's supposed to be a boring mission, but Alec isn't complaining. It had better _stay_ boring, because if it doesn't, Alec will probably be running from half of the many _Aswang_ under Galvez's control. The vampires they own, Alec knows, are branded with a _G_ and are affectionately called _Aswang_ , the Filipino word roughly translating to vampire. Alec shudders to think about it.

The following Friday, Alec steps out of the Institute wearing his usual all-black ensemble. As he nears the busier streets of Brooklyn, however, he quickly pulls out his stele and runs it over one of his runes. They all disappear, leaving his skin uncomfortably bare. Alec hates glamouring his runes because they protect him, and shield him, in quite a literal sense. But he puts up with it.

The café Natalie frequents is in sight. Alec has to remind himself _don't be nervous, it's okay, just blend in._ And then he tells himself, _do it for the Lightwood name. Your first solo mission, don't screw it up_. _You're almost twenty and this is your first solo mission. If you screw up, you won't get another in years._ That thought pushes him to take a steadying breath, check that his seraph blade and stele are out of view along with his runes, and push the door open.

The bell jingles. Alec almost halts at the door. Why would this door have a bell? Just — why?

He steps in. Barely anyone has noticed him, and when the noises of amused laughter, annoyed businessmen on phone calls, and baristas calling out names periodically blend together into a single track of café chatter, he realises why. Somehow knowing how little mundanes pay attention to their surroundings puts Alec at ease. He strides up to join the queue, orders an iced Americano, and nurses it at a round table for two that's flush against the back walls of the café, secluded enough to escape the attention of most, but from a good enough vantage point. He can see both the clock and every new customer from his seat.

His mind pulls back to a conversation he'd had with Izzy.

"Alec," she had said, in a disbelieving and gentle voice, "have you never been to a mundane coffeeshop?"

Alec had given Izzy a baleful look. Why else would he be asking for advice?

"Alec," and there it was again, that gentle voice. He hadn't wanted Izzy's careful handling, had just wanted her to dish the advice out and end it there. "you're _nineteen_. How have you not gotten sick of staying within Institute walls, only seeing the outside when there's a target, like a hunting dog?"

Alec had shrugged. And finally Izzy had gotten to the point. "Just pull out your phone or — or a book, and look at it. Don't look too uncomfortable. Act like you're waiting for someone so the baristas don't chase you out."

Alec had given Izzy a curt nod and a quick thanks, walking off before Izzy began to inquire about his nonexistent life outside the Institute.

But actually sitting there in the café, he realises that he has no one to talk to. So he stares at the home screen of his phone for a long moment before he sends a quick text to Izzy.

_Hey, Iz._

_Are u ok?_ She replies almost instantly.

_I'm at the coffeeshop now._

He sends another text to clarify. _My solo mission_.

_Taking my advice, i see!_

_Relax, big brother._

Alec chats with Izzy for a while. She's perfect because she can sense his apprehension from literal miles away, and she understands when he stops replying for a few minutes of so. Every time a vaguely tanned woman enters, Alec has to stop himself from craning his neck to see if it's Natalie Galvez. But when all of the women turn around, they reveal sharp noses and European features that carry no Asian hints.

The clock is quite impractical — it has a fork and spoon for minute and hour hands, and is only marked at 3-hour intervals. But even with such a clock, it's clear enough when an hour passes. For one, Izzy has bid him goodbye in favour of shadowing a demon autopsy, and secondly, the crowd has thinned. The 2pm post-lunch-hang-out crowd has left, revealing only the 3pm rushing-work-on-their-third-coffee crowd. Almost everyone else in the café has their laptop open. Alec, however, fiddles with his phone, opening and closing his messaging app, tossing his phone in the air and catching it. Only five people come in with the next 20 minutes. They're all men, so Alecdoesn't spare them more than a cursory glance.

Whoever had given the Institute the tip that Natalie frequented this café after lunch had spectacularly failed to mention _when exactly_ lunch was for her. Alec had decided to be there early just in case, but it's only amounted to a spectacular failure. His lips flatten without him realising it, but he tamps his frustration down. He's had lot of practice being frustrated and disappointed. Here was just another instance of trying hard without yielding results.

He sips the last dredges of his iced coffee, which by then is really just brown ice water. His senses alert him to the other man before he actually registers the sight: someone's hovering over him.

"Stood up?" The voice is sympathetic, if not faintly amused. Alec sets down his cup and looks up at the stranger's piteous, if sympathetic smile. Alec had noticed this man from about half an hour ago, but quickly forgot about him because he's, well, a man, and definitely not his target. But aside from the fact that his job at that café is to watch everyone and observe, the man himself is practically begging for attention with that outfit. And that hair. And that _makeup_. That makeup rivals Izzy's.

Alec stares for longer than he should. His fingers are still curled around his cup but his gaze flits over the man's shimmering maroon vest, the faded blue tips in his artfully-spiked hair in contrast with his clothes, his smoked-out eyes, his fingernails painted with a hazy blue shimmer, and by the Angel, it has never occurred to Alec that having ten fingers entitles you to ten rings but this man wears them like a birthright.

The stranger peers down at Alec. Alec's lack of reply has settled in, so the stranger takes his cue — of _not leaving_.

"I've also been stood up," he sniffs at the injury, but doesn't look too torn about it, truth be told, "mind if I join you?"

This jolts Alec from his keen observations of the man's appearance, which is... _interesting_ enough to invite Alec's thorough scrutiny. (Alec dare not admit what a _compelling_ outfit it really is.) Alec is supposed to say no to this man, but his response is sluggish like it shouldn't be, and the man slides in before Alec can say anything.

"Brilliant weather, isn't it?"

Alec stares back blankly.

"I'm so sorry to intrude. Where are my manners? My name's Magnus."

Magnus pauses. In a regular conversation, that would be Alec's cue to gallantly introduce himself.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" Magnus' eyes are actually _twinkling._ Alec feels so stupid when the word pops up in his mind, and he curses himself for reading Izzy's stupid YA romance books, but... dear, sweet Raziel, the man's eyes twinkle, when he smiles, even though it's a closed-mouth, friendly but polite one.

Alec stops gaping and glances past Magnus, whose head now partially blocks the door. He should be annoyed by it — this complicates his mission, and it's imperative that he gets a mission as simple as this right — but he can't think. He can't think straight.

"I'm Al— " He stops himself, and to be extra careful, he clears his throat and tries again. "I'm Al _ex_."

"Is that short for Alexander?"

"Just call me Alex." Alex is close enough to his real name for him to act natural — Alec's really not a liar — but not Alec or Alexander, so that on the off chance that they ever cross paths again, Alec's identity is safe.

"Okay, Alex," Magnus' tone stays light. "Not to sound like a creep, but I noticed that you've been here for at least half an hour, and maybe even before that?"

"Yeah. Just — waiting for someone."

"A date? I'm sorry she didn't show, but half an hour is just inconsiderate."

"Well... I was told to be here after lunch, but I didn't think to clarify when lunch was for her." Alec sticks as close to the truth as possible. "But not a date."

Why had he said that?

Magnus moves past that, as if he hadn't heard Alec hastily tack on that last bit. 

"That's unfortunate. But it's past three. That's an absurdly late lunch."

Alec doesn't respond.

"Hey — if breakfast and lunch commend is brunch, maybe she's had lunch and dinner combined? What would that be, linner? Dunch? Ugh. Neither has a good ring to it, don't you think?"

Alec finds his lips pulling upwards. "Linner sounds better. Not that you asked."

"I sat here, didn't I? Of course your opinions matter. That's the longest speech you've made for me today." Magnus sounds so ridiculously pleased that Alec chuckles out loud.

"I'm capable of long sentences," Alec says. "Magnus."

Magnus looks around suddenly. His voice drops the conversational tone. "Alex. Thank you for humouring me, really. Truth is, I was trying to avoid someone, and he's left, so if you need me to leave..."

He's about to pull out of the seat when Alec surprises them both, musing, "Brilliant weather, isn't it? You're right."

Magnus' face relaxes, and he eases himself back into his seat. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Yeah, um. I'm sorry you had to evade someone like that. Coffee on me?"

Magnus beams. "Thank you. Who am I to turn down a charming young man like you? I'll take whatever you're having."

Alec leaves to throw his first cup away and comes back with two more coffees. They're with milk this time because Magnus doesn't look like he would take his coffee black, not when his very person is so colourful. Before returning to the table, a thought strikes Alec, and he U-turns to grab a sachet of sugar.

"Um. Sugar for you?"

"Thank you! How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Alec is too pleased about his guess. _He's a random mundane and you'll never see him again. Why do you care what he thinks?_

Alec can't answer himself, so he chooses to answer Magnus' next question. They end up chatting. Until Natalie, damn it, comes in and orders a matcha latte.

She almost evades Alec's attention, because Magnus is telling him about a certain café in Germany which has a beautiful jazz band every Friday and jazz, when paired with their signature chocolate cake, is heavenly, apparently. But when Alec happens to glance at Magnus' blue tips, she's there in a no-business bob and definitely Asian features: dark brown doe eyes, a wide nose. High cheekbones to complete her proud appearance. That is definitely Natalie Galvez. Alec is abruptly reminded of his mission, and as she takes the matcha latte and turns to leave, he cuts Magnus off.

"I'm, I'm sorry but I have to... she's here — bye! Nice meeting you."

Magnus only has time to wave goodbye and utter an "oh, okay" in surprise, but he finds himself watching the young mundane boy chase after a woman. Magnus takes a long sip of his coffee, only to find that it's no longer as sweet, yet not as bitter as a different drink that he would really, really like to consume right now.

Alec finds out where's she's headed, trailing after her after activating another rune that turns him invisible. Natalie Galvez may have _Aswang_ and werewolves at her feet, but she doesn't, and can never, have the blood in her veins to see the Shadow World in its entirety. Alec follows her and reports her movements back to the Institute, but what he dreams of isn't the praise his mother bestows upon him or the teasing "I knew you could do it, bro," from Jace, even. He dreams of a mundane man who's anything but mundane. He dreams of the man's eyes and rings and hair, too sleepy to tell himself how wrong it is to search Magnus' face in his memory right before he drifts off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jessica hawkblue makes an appearance. again, Alec panics.

Alec's performance was such a huge success (although honestly anyone else could've done just as well on a mission like this) that he's sent out again the next week to determine if her movements are regular. Alec knows why he's been singled out for this mission — usually he's the backup on team missions. He stays in the shadows and watches the backs of his team. The demons, or the occasional Downworlders, he kills usually never even get a glimpse of him, so his identity is least likely to be compromised.

The next Friday rolls around and Alec wonders when he should set out. _At two-thirty, of course_. Why waste time that he could spend training, or studying?

After a quick lunch at noon, however, he bumps into Izzy. "Hey, big brother."

Alec doesn't like the look on her face. "Hey, Iz."

"Good luck on your mission later."

"Uh... it's really nothing."

Izzy seems to have other ideas. "Actually, I was going to ask, is that what you're wearing later?"

Alec looks down at himself: faded black T-shirt, jeans with single rips at the knees, a leather jacket. Functional.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," Izzy hems, "but you're not going into a battle, Alec, you're going to a café."

Alec rolls his eyes.

"And, isn't that what you wore last week?"

She has a point. It is almost exactly what he wore last week, and even if it wasn't, no one would've been able to tell.

"What's your point, Izzy?"

A smile creeps onto her face, and Alec doesn't like it. Oh, no.

Fifteen minutes later Alec exits Izzy's room in a dark-blue button-down shirt with a pocket, no jacket, and _gel_ in his hair. And a watch, for who knows what purpose. He has a phone and there's a clock at the café, but Izzy is (un)surprisingly persuasive and dumps ten reasons to wear a watch onto him that he just gives in. She also manages to sneak in a little comment that he somehow _owes_ her for one little outfit, and hints at the new ice-cream shop a short walk from the Institute. Alec ignores the hints and pretends to be obtuse.

Alec shows up at the café. He is actually _this close_ to stepping in with his runes on full display before he hurriedly backs into the nearest shady lane, whips out his stele, and solves that problem. The runes fade away and leave Alec defenseless once more. He strolls into the café.

Not five minutes later, Alec is torn from his phone — texting Izzy again anyway, so no big loss — by the sound of the chair opposite him scraping the ground. He looks up to see Magnus settling in across him. The blue tips are somehow lighter, more electric, as are his eyes, which are lined with a shock of silver at the bottom. Magnus extends a cup of iced coffee to Alec. "Mind if I join?"

"You didn't really ask last time." Alec wants to gut himself with his seraph blade.

Magnus takes it well, luckily. He just smiles and slides into the seat. "Fancy seeing you here again."

They sit in silence, Magnus sipping on the straw of his coffee, and Alec trying to not notice. His eyes latch onto Magnus' straw, Magnus' lips wrapped around the straw, the pink stain he leaves behind on the straw when he lets go of it... "I like your nails."

"Oh. So do I. This is actually one of my favourite colours — it's just black, but when it catches the light just right it shimmers a little. Not too flashy, but, you know, there's more than meets the eye."

"Cool." Alec doesn't know what to say. He's low-key panicking. _More than meets the eye._ If only Magnus knew.

As if on cue, Magnus asks, "So, Alex, what do you do? Are you... in college?"

"College?"

"Studying anything?"

"Um. No, actually, I'm..." _A demon-slayer. A soldier._ "An archer."

"That's your job? You must be quite good at it."

_It's the only thing I feel completely at ease with._ "I'm, I'm not bad. And what do you do?"

Magnus answers smoothly. "I'm a consultant. Of alternative healing. Like TCM, but even more alternative."

"TCM?"

"Traditional Chinese medicine. Some of it actually works wonders, but Western scientists don't know why. Traditionally, the Chinese have a concept similar to the four humours — an old English concept of the body — but they call it your body's _constitution_. So a treatment to address a headache may be applied to the feet, because..."

Magnus basically gives Alec a crash course on TCM like he holds a degree in it. Alec feels a little guilty that once Magnus is done talking, he can't remember anything beyond the basic concept of the body's constitution, but the way Magnus gestures to explain held more of his attention that the words he spoke.

"Sorry, I rambled for a bit. But it's interesting stuff, isn't it?"

"Um, yeah."

"You don't sound very interested. It's quite alright, I shouldn't have gone on for so long. Anyway, an archer? Like a professional athlete?"

Magnus' tone is as light as ever, but a twinge of guilt hits Alec. He's been the most underwhelming audience possible.

"I'm sorry. No, it was interesting, and I..." _Was busy staring at you, so I didn't listen._ "Had a late night, so I zoned out but it's not because I didn't want to listen, or anything. Just. So you know."

The smile on Magnus's face grows wider, which makes Alec feel like he's just won a prize he doesn't deserve. "I'm glad to hear that, Alex."

They keep chatting for a while, and just like clockwork, it's a little past three when Natalie Galvez rushes in for another matcha latte, and Alec almost knocks his chair back chasing after her.

Magnus is left at the table, sitting across an empty coffee cup. He's absolutely _fucked_. A mundane boy, _really_? He's probably just hit his twenties, and Magnus has just hit his 400s. He shouldn't have come back. But he's learned to tell when someone's eyes are on him, and by the Angel, that boy's eyes were most definitely on him. Magnus hasn't wanted someone's attention like that in a while — usually people want _his_ attention. He gets up and trashes his half-full coffee cup — proof of how much he's rambled on, forsaking his drink, just to keep an awkward young man's eyes on him. How pathetic can he get?

Really quite pathetic, it turns out.

Alec returns the week after that, and Magnus shows up too — like magic. Week after week after week Alec erases his runes for a glimpse at a normal life with a — a _friend_ , easily the most charming and hottest friend he's ever had but that's all they are. Natalie Galvez is caught and interrogated within the month, but Alec forgets about her soon enough now that they've gained information on the whereabouts of three-quarters of the _Aswang_ population.

It's been one and a half months. About seven weeks, actually, not that Alec's counting. "Izzy?" he calls.

"Yes, brother dear?"

"Um. Can you cover for me? I... have an errand. An hour and a half max."

"Again?" A sly look slips onto her face. " _Alec_. You have a _date_ , don't you?"

"No. Of course not."

" _Alec..."_ she sings. "Do you want me to cover for you or not?"

"It's not a date."

"Who's the lucky girl?"

Alec freezes. _Girl_. He thinks of Magnus, whose chains and rings fit him better than Alec's ever seen on a girl, whose smooth voice and lilting tone and warm skin sound and look like honey. Magnus makes heat pool in his stomach and shift uncertainly. But — who is he kidding? A girl. He is a boy, so he should want a girl.

Izzy notices his hesitation. "I mean — girl or guy? Who's lucky enough to have caught your eye?"

_A girl. A girl, um —_ "Jessica."

"As in, Jessica Rabbit?"

Exactly like Jessica Rabbit, actually. His mind grasps for a surname but only _Magnus_ floods his mind, the picture of the first day they'd met, the blue tips in his hair. "Jessica Hawkblue."

Izzy's brows shoot up. Alec would feel offended that Izzy didn't think he was capable of meeting a girl if he had actually met one, but he hasn't, so he understands. Her lips curve up a second later, though. "Jessica Hawkblue, huh? That's great, Alec! I am so happy for you. Wait. Is she a _mundane_?"

He _is a mundane_ , Alec corrects Izzy in his mind. "It's nothing serious."

Izzy opens her mouth. Closes it. Opens it again to say, "Be back by four, yeah? And get your best indigestion face ready."

"Love you, Iz. Bye."

Izzy shoves him good-naturedly before walking away. The moment Alec's out of the Institute, he hones in on the café, stele at the ready to glamour his runes away. He isn't quite prepared for the sight of Magnus, though. His mouth runs dry, and the urgency with which he pushed the door open fades into a slow heat that begins in the pit of his stomach and travels up to the back of his throat. Magnus is _stunning._ He has _stunned_ Alec, and Alec takes slow steps towards him, unsure if he's still asleep and in one of his most illicit dreams, the kind where he'll wake up tossed in his sheets and cold with sweat and loss.

Magnus is in a silk button-down shirt which softly peels open at the collar, with necklaces that loop around his neck like scarves, the charms winking at Alec. He's wearing black jeans, which he's never worn before — not that Alec's _noticed_ — but they're completely different from the black pair that Alec reaches for so often. For one, it blatantly advertises Magnus' ass, and Alec is gripped with the vision of gripping that man's ass with his hands, cupping it in the pads of his fingers, for — for a moment, before Alec blinks it away as quickly as it had appeared.

And Alec doesn't dare look too closely at Magnus' face, which he's sure will make him do something stupid like what they do in the mundane movies, consequences be damned.

Alec keeps his gaze low, focuses on Magnus' right collar which flaps under the sway of a necklace, making his way to their table.

Magnus beams at him, impossibly bright, and slides a cup over. It's Alec's usual order. "Hi."

"Thanks, I..." He turns the cup around slightly. "What's this?"

"An iced black coffee, bitter and soulless the way you like it. What else?"

"No, I mean, this number on my cup."

Magnus doesn't reply, and Alec drags his gaze up from the black ink on his cup to Magnus, whose lips curve up. Magnus' eyes are alight with something _other_ than glitter eyeshadow. Something like hope.

"Uh — I."

"Alex, can I ask you a question?"

"Uh. Yeah."

"Do you want to get dinner sometime?"

"Uh." _Yes. What? Uh — yes — um. Sure. Alright. Yeah, no. No._

Alec's monosyllable stretches out, his head blank, heart stuttering. 

"Forget I asked. I was just... I have a client near here, house call. I was hoping for some company before I rush over, but I understand it's, short notice. Don't — don't apologise or anything."

Magnus sips from his coffee. "Anyway, how has your week been? I've had the worst week, there are some really demanding people who..."

"Magnus."

He stops fumbling with his ring.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. I..."

"Of course. You must've forgotten to do something. You're pretty flustered today, but that's alright." Magnus' lips curve up again, but his eyes don't light up. "It was great seeing you, Alex."

"See you next week?" Alec looks at Magnus, who's busy sipping his coffee again. Alec stays there for a beat too long, with his hand awkwardly on the side of his seat, ready to get up. "I'm really sorry, Magnus. I — thank you. See you around."

And the Alec bolts out of the coffeeshop, drink in hand with Magnus' number on it, heart racing like he's just killed a pack of demons singlehandedly while sprinting a 10K. (He's done it with his runes activated, and the heartburn and calf aches pale in comparison to this new feeling. He wouldn't recommend either experience.)

He darts into a back alley, still holding the cup, and slams his back into a graffitied wall for support. He wants to call Izzy. Maybe Jace, if it were about a girl, because he would be able to take the teasing, but he won't be able to handle Jace's surprise, the _oh_ of his mouth and seeing the thought _you're gay?_ running through his mind. He digs into his jeans for his phone and pulls it out like a lifeline, but when he holds it up and sees the cup and the numbers in his other hand, just inches away from his phone, Alec wants to shift his grip just a little bit so he can see Magnus' phone number. It would be so easy. He could dial it and apologise, and ask for dinner next week. Magnus would relax and soften and accept his apology, and pretend that Alec actually had a valid excuse for rushing out like he had.

His gaze darts between his phone and his cup, and he dials.

"What's up?"

"Izzy, I... Are you at the Institute?"

"Yeah, are you okay? Where are you?"

"Do you want to get ice-cream?"

A pause. Alec knows what she's thinking, but she doesn't press. "I'll meet you at the new place, the one near the Institute."

When Alec hangs up, his heartbeat is less erratic. He takes a long look at the cup, fingers still itching to punch in the numbers.

Temptation takes the wheel and on impulse, he keys the numbers in before dropping the cup and walking away, littering be damned. 

When he sees Izzy bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to order a triple scoop and a waffle — each — he doesn't even have to force the corners of his lips upwards. He only shows her a small smile as he extends the money to her, though, because his mind has numbers running through it beginning with _929-_ and ending with _325_.

Alec doesn't say a word of what happened to Izzy having bribed her silence. They make light conversation that's just enough to keep his mind from replaying every detail of the afternoon, of how Magnus gave him his number, of how perfect Magnus had looked and of how he had run out on someone like _that_ and — yeah. Izzy talks even more than she usually does. Maybe Izzy can sense something's wrong, but neither talks about it.

"Alec?" she peers up at him on their walk back. Alec remembers how he'd shot up with a late growth spurt, becoming taller than Izzy only a few short years ago even though she's younger. He's struck by how warm such an intense gaze can be, and thanks the Angel for a sister like her, though he'd never admit it to her. "Thanks for today. Don't forget, you can talk to me. If you want to. Snacks are on me next time — what do you think of rainbow bagels?"

Alec shudders visibly, making Izzy's grin split even wider like he knew it would. "I'll... think about it."

If Magnus was a spark of electricity that threatened to burn into a fire, unpredictable and confusing, Izzy was the warm blanket thrown over the sparking embers to protect Alec from them. Alec returns the next week, hovering outside the café without entering. Even from outside, he can tell that Magnus isn't inside — his jewellery would glint under the stray rays of sun if he were. Alec feels something sink in his chest, but it's fine. He gathers himself and turns back around, and doesn't return again.


	3. Chapter 3

"What're you looking at?" Jace saunters into the ops room like has has so many times before, barely bothering to study before a mission. This time, however, he's got his new pet in tow.

Alec's gaze slides from Jace to the redheaded girl trailing behind him, her arms shockingly bare, evidence that she doesn't belong. Something twists in his chest when Jace glances back to make sure Clary Fray's following him, and Alec knows he shouldn't feel anything of the sort, but — _well_. Back to the mission at hand. If they find Jocelyn Fray, maybe the little redhead will be out of their hair soon enough — she's more interested in art school than demons, from what Alec's heard.

These thoughts almost distract him from the profile in front of him.

_Name: Magnus Bane_

_Type: Warlock_

_Age: approximately 900_

_Additional information: High Warlock of Brooklyn. Extremely powerful. Approach with caution._

Before Jace had sauntered in, Alec had been staring at the warlock's profile photo: a cruelly impassive man with lined eyes sucking in the attention of anyone who looked, even through a photo. Hair slicked up in spikes that curled at the tips, artful and deliberate. The next photo: the same man surrounded by women, fingers dripping with rings.

The man in the photograph stares unapologetically at Alec, whose hands grip the surface of the ops briefing table to brace himself. _Magnus Bane._ _Magnus._

Five years ago he’d met a man. _"My name's Magnus,"_ he'd said, the _m_ falling from his lips, warm and sweet. Rings. Necklaces. Glitter and excess which had toed the threshold of being glitzy and superficial, and which had instead managed to suck the light out of everything else around him. He'd smiled like he'd had a spotlight trained on him his entire life and knew it, and — perhaps he had. What did Alec know of magic to rule out the possibility?

_"Mind if I join you?"_ he hadn't really been asking, had he? Alec's head is spinning, he looks away from the screen just to _breathe_ and had the High Warlock of Brooklyn asked him out for _dinner? Five years ago_ , no less?

_Oh, by the fucking Angel._

"You alright? You look like you've been drained by a vampire."

“Jace, don’t jinx it,” Alec warns, but only half-heartedly. He clears his throat, swallows the dryness away. " _No_ , I'm — what's up with Fray?"

Jace casts a glance at his redheaded shadow with a look that Alec is loathe to admit he’s wanted to be met with. Jake’s eyebrows knit together for a moment, his soldierly recklessness faltering on the girl’s behalf. Alec has the stupid urge to grab Jace’s eyebrows and yank them apart, and then pull his head away from Fray. Preferably rooms apart. She doesn’t deserve such precious, tender concern, especially since Jace is usually in short supply of it. God, they've known the girl for a short couple of days. They barely know anything from her — aside from her name, the only thing Alec can say for sure is that she’s courting death. Jace, blissfully unaware of Alec’s sudden call to action regarding Jace’s eyebrows, launches into some explanation of how the redhead decided that getting 18 years' worth of memories was just as important as her awkward, gangly and no doubt equally annoying best friend, and about what Jace has done to help Clary along, but Alec barely hears it.

Because he had met Magnus Bane five years ago. He had — he had bought coffee for him, and chatted with him for hours. TCM? That had been a load of crap. The Angels were sick sometimes in the same way Alec was sick, having _enjoyed_ his time not just with a _mundane man_ , but a _warlock_ , a _400-year-old warlock_ who was also a _man_ , and the fact that he's a man was the _least_ contributor to Alec's whirlwind of thoughts is... something. Something sick and _confusing_.

"So we have to help Clary find this warlock," Jace concludes with a nod towards the screen. 

_Warlock?_ Alec’s mind helpfully jolts back into focus. He makes what he hopes is a noncommittal noise. “Warlock. Yeah. Easy. Let’s go.”

“Really?" Jace probes again.

"Sure."

While Alec has no fondness for the girl who's more trouble than she's worth, and he's made it clear as day, Jace isn't going to question Alec about it. He mutters, ”okay," and turns to leave. _Blond. Gold?_ Jace’s sandy hair morphs into black, save for the tips, in Alec’s mind. Muted yellow shine turns into gold shimmer, catching light from ceiling lamps and the sun itself —

“You alright?”

Alec looks at the worry marring his _parabatai_ 's face and swallows. A part of him regrets that the black and gold vanishes from his thoughts instantly, leaving him with just Jace. He can't lie about the feeling inside him building up like indigestion, but he can omit truths, the way he has for years. "I'll be fine."

Jace fixes him with a look, but finally leaves after a quick word to Clary, and Alec’s fingers drift to the monitor, finger hovering over the _M_ on the keyboard. No — it's no use thinking about the past. He jams his thumb on the _off_ button, pulling it off to find a faint imprint on it. There is only a future to think of, and one Clary Fray who threatens it. That's what Alec has to make himself believe, at least, because otherwise, he could spend all day in a haze of what-ifs and whys and hows.

If he’d taken the offer, nothing would’ve happened anyway. Nothing could’ve happened.

About an hour later, he returns to the ops room, and Starkweather already there. Jace, Clary and Izzy come in a few seconds after, characteristically later than Alec. Starkweather switches the monitor on and begins the briefing.

Alec nods along, eyes trained on the same picture he had seen earlier. Starkweather does a good job of summarising Magnus Bane's file, to the benefit of Izzy and Jace, but Alec is thankful now more than ever for his habit of studying ahead of missions. He stills when Starkweather says, "He has a deep mistrust of Shadowhunters," and keeps his face carefully impassive as they discuss how to lure Magnus Bane out. That's when Alec decides that he absolutely cannot go on this mission.

On the day of the mission, Alec tells Jace that he's unwell. "Really? You feel fine to me."

_Damned_ parabatai _bond._ "A headache. I think I've been overusing my stamina rune pulling all those extra patrol shifts."

He waits for Jace to see through him, because they’ve been running after Clary all around the city, leaving no time for extra shifts, but Jace just huffs and rolls his eyes even though Alec can feel the pang of worry through their bond. "Take it easy, alright? We need you."

Alec huffs out a breath too, just of relief. It mixes with guilt once Jace leaves his room — Alec rarely lies to his siblings, but if Magnus Bane sees him he has no idea what he will do. It's bad enough that Alec had practically run away from Magnus and never even chanced going back to that café, but if Magnus Bane finds out that he's a Shadowhunter, he might get turned into a lizard. Who knows — there's probably a loophole in the Accords that the warlock wouldn't hesitate to exploit. 

For the next few hours, he's sitting at the edge of his bed, reading a book on rune placement and rune strategy, except he isn't really reading. He's stuck on page 201 for about half an hour even though half the page is a diagram. What if they need his help? Jace and Izzy are both exclusively close-range fighters, using weapons with a short reach. They have Clary Fray, who's more of a liability than a help. Magnus might not give information, and three Shadowhunters — two and a half — at Pandemonium, _the_ biggest Downworlder nightclub...

He's thinking too much, and the pain in his _parabatai_ rune is phantom pain. Jace just gets hurt that often. Of course. They're not supposed to be fighting on this one.

It's hard to commit to that train of thought when Jace shows up in his room with a ripped shirt lined with traces of black and red — demon ichor and blood. Alec's blood chills at the sight, and he's up in a second.

"What happened?"

"Valentine found us. Damn it, Alec, you should've been there! It was horrible. We led Valentine's men straight to Magnus' lair. We had no backup, Clary was terrified, Magnus was furious. Hope you're feeling better."

He brushes past Izzy, who enters just as Jace leaves.

"Hey. It's not your fault we got into a mess."

"Was that interesting enough for you?"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it. Clary really showed some promise, you know. She saved a young warlock girl, which was one of the only reasons Magnus agreed to a second meeting with us."

"What for?"

"To summon the memory demon which took Clary's memories. Magnus fed them to the demon so he couldn't give them back to her."

So they're not done dealing with Magnus. Izzy continues talking. "We need you to be there next time. We need to summon the demon with a pentagram, so. Five people. You feeling better?"

_Shit._ “Yeah." 

"We're meeting him tomorrow. The sooner the better, but Magnus needed the rest of today to deal with the fallout of Valentine's attack."

Alec manages to choke out an affirmative.

His mind is screaming. He has no idea what to do, he wants to tell _someone_ but Jace is too busy with his new girl and Izzy is his younger sister, damn it, he shouldn't be looking to her as a crutch like he did five years ago. He watches Izzy leave his room, and when he feels the stillness return to his room he sinks down onto the edge of his mattress again, burying his head in his hands.

He leaves the room soon after, but struggles to leave his thoughts and return to business as usual. That's why he finds himself in front of a punching bag at 1AM, going through the combat drills he's been doing since he was a child.

"Alec?"

He stills. He already recognises the voice, and it's all he can do not to groan out loud. "What do you want, Fray?"

"Just pretend I'm not here."

Alec gladly obliges, hitting the punching bag in a neat rhythm. When he turns, he sees the girl with a tome open in her hands, head bent, red curls blocking her face from view. Alec knows what book that is — it's a textbook on runes. He recognises its distinct royal blue cover with gold foil lettering. It's one of the most important books a Shadowhunter will ever read, because if all copies of that book disappeared one day, hundreds of the more obscure runes would be lost.

A more selfish thought goes off in his head. _She shouldn't be reading that. That's for Shadowhunters._

But another more resonant thought fires soon after. It's one of respect for the slight girl. _She wants to be here._ She's studying. Maybe she deserves to be there, trying to deserve to be there.

The thoughts of Magnus evaporate momentarily, and Alec crosses the training mat and says stiffly, "I'll give you a crash course."

"No, I — No thanks, I'm fine."

"The quicker you learn, the less of a liability you'll be to us. I'm done anyway," he was not done, but the drills were pointless at this stage, "so. I'll give you a crash course."

Clary obviously mistrusts him, because her grip on the book tightens, but she shifts over to let Alec sit. Alec's night was going to be sleepless anyway. Might as well make it useful. He pulls the book from her hands.

"Thank you," she says when the sky begins to lighten, even though they haven't spoken for nearly an hour. Neither has slept, but neither has anything to say, each lost in their personal tumult. Clary learned the shape and curve of the more important runes fast, even if she doesn't yet grasp the nuanced meanings of some of them. That's enough for now.

With a nod, he stands and motions to walk away, already bracing himself for his meeting with Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, and _not_ Magnus the mundane. Clary speaks again. "Thank you, Alec. I know you don't like me, and you didn't have to help before, but you did. And thank you for coming today."

Alec walks out of the room. What are Clary's thanks worth when he has to face Magnus again? Maybe he's blowing this out of proportion. It's not that big a deal. All that happened five years ago, and what's five years to a warlock? Nothing.

In his room, he pulls out his stele and traces over the stamina rune. Then he pulls out his book, and begins to read until the morning properly dawns.

"Alec. Time to go." Izzy stalks in. "Magnus is, and I quote, a ' _very_ busy man'. He pulls together a mean outfit, which probably takes half of his time, but still. I don't want us to get on his bad side. He's doing the summoning for free. Well, in return for our help the other day, but essentially free.”

They're at the foot of Magnus Bane's apartment building soon enough, and Alec wonders if there's a way to accidentally run into a demon so he doesn't have to go up there.

No such luck. They head up, and Izzy is just about to rap on Magnus' door when it swings open, revealing a man with kohl-lined eyes and hair slicked up... with slight blue tips. Izzy walks in first, followed by Jace and Clary, leaving Alec at the door staring straight at Magnus. Magnus the _not-_ mundane, with blue wisps dancing around his fingertips. "Aren't you going to come in?" he drawls, before he looks up at Alec's face.

Alec steps in and the door swings shut behind him. "Who are you?" Magnus asks. His eyes narrow and sweep Alec over and it's all Alec can do to stay standing rigidly upright. Alec tries to answer, but his lips only part soundlessly. Magnus looks the same as five years ago. _Stupid. Of course he does. He's immortal._ Magnus looks just as stunning, but the air of indifference about him is new. Alec's mind drifts to that day in the café when Magnus had come over to his table, all warmth and charm.

"That's Alec, my brother," Izzy cuts in smoothly, disrupting Alec's thoughts. Clary butts into this strange and surreal moment. "Can we begin the summoning?"

Magnus doesn't hear it. His eyes stay on Alec "You."

"I..." Alec's lost all his thoughts. "Do you know each other?" Izzy asks.

Alec feels it then. The temperature in the loft grows by a few degrees and Magnus is like a radiator in winter, waves of extreme displeasure burning off him. Alec doesn't meet his eyes, suddenly afraid of what this man will do. "No," Magnus replies.

Magnus takes another long look at Alec, eyes sweeping over the prominent runes on his neck and arms, before shifting his attention towards Clary. "Alright, biscuit, you'll need these."

Clary sets to work on the pentagram. "I'll... need _pretty boy's_ assistance in the next room," Magnus announces, smoothly beckoning Alec to the other room before Jace can react. 

Once they're alone, Magnus turns on Alec. "So your name isn't even Alex."

Alec doesn't reply. He doesn't know how to.

"Alec. Short for Alexander, I suppose. Alexander... _Lightwood_. A Lightwood, of all things."

“Are you mad at me?" Alec doesn't mean to sound so defensive, but his brain has short-circuited around any diplomacy.

" _Mad_ at you?” Magnus narrows his eyes and taps a finger to his chin. “We talked for weeks, I thought I knew you, then you run out on me without so much as an explanation or an apology, not even an _excuse_ , to get out of dinner with me which hundreds of people would _line up_ for. You didn’t other to tell me you were a _Shadowhunter_. Years later you have the nerve to show up here, in my home, asking for my help after that stunt you pulled. Were you sent to track my movements back then? A _Shadowhunter_. A _Lightwood_ , no offence. So am I mad at you? It’s _hard to say._ ” No matter that Alec's the most divine-looking Lightwood he's seen in centuries, because Alec is also already the most infuriating Lightwood he's come across, and he’s only really known him for a few minutes.

Alec frowns. “Um, I didn’t know you were a warlock. Why would I tell you I’m a Shadowhunter?”

Magnus seems to take even more offence at that, to Alec’s chagrin. “You _didn’t know who I was?_ What are they teaching you these days? Not to blow my own horn, but we are in _Brooklyn_. I am the High Warlock of… where, again? Right — _Brooklyn_. If you happen to need any tricky potions or spells, who do you go to? Not the High Warlock of _Florida_ , I’m sure. Even Shadowhunters in Florida don’t go to him, actually. He’s always high — but that’s not my point!”

"Sorry about that?” Alec clears his throat. “I — I didn't volunteer to be here. I got dragged into Clary's business because of my sister and Jace, okay? And _no_ , I wasn't tracking you..." He drags a hand over his face, suddenly tired because the perfect, warm vision of Magnus he's had for five years has gone up in smoke. The image that he held onto in the far corners of his consciousness, when he could forget that it was wrong to want a man like that. When he could forget about Jace's impossible debonair charm, because stealing glances at Jace was safe, but thinking about Magnus in the café was... real. Or it had been real. Clearly it wasn't, looking at Magnus now.

"I didn't want to come here. I didn't... that was five years ago. I'm sorry for running out on you like that, but I thought you were a mundane, and..." _And a man. And I panicked._

"So if you had known I was a warlock," Magnus says, "you would've stayed and obliged me? Out of — fear?"

"If you'd known I was a Shadowhunter you wouldn't have asked."

Magnus isn't denying it, so Alec continues talking. "Magnus, I'm sorry I ran out on you like that. But it was five years ago. I was — I was nineteen. That was my first solo mission, to follow Natalie Galvez — the Downworlder fight ring and crime syndicate leader."

Magnus nods because of course he's heard of her, and the sudden quiet surrounding her fight ring a few years ago, although the crime is harder to snuff out.

"I didn't expect you to ask me to dinner. We were barely friends."

"Well, you did lie to me about everything, including your name."

"Magnus..." But Magnus doesn't look as pissed as he had a minute ago.

"I have to say, runes suit you. Even though complete ignorance doesn’t. You really didn’t know who I am?” Alec feels pricks where Magnus' curious gaze sweeps over his arms and lands on his neck.

"Um... thanks. And no, though being magical suits you too. I guess.” Alec wants to punch himself. "Is Clary done yet?"

If Alec turns away before seeing Magnus' grin, that's his loss.

"So? What did he need you for?" As soon as Magnus is out of earshot, Alec's siblings demand to know.

"Pretty boy, huh?" is Jace's question, to which Izzy just smacks him. "So?" she asks again.

Alec shrugs unconvincingly. "Nothing. He asked for help with, um, a potion. But I said no."

"You're the worst liar, but lucky for you, Clary's done."

Alec has never seen a memory demon before. When the demon turns on him, demanding a memory, its eyes bore into his mind and pulls on an image of Jace and _get out, get out, no, not Jace, I don't — I can't love him that much he's —_

Everyone sees the image of Jace smiling softly at him. Not a smirk or a victorious laugh, just a smile that makes Alec colour red. "No! No — I," he sees Jace's puzzlement in his periphery, and rips away from the pentagram.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Magnus tells him after, the anger all evaporated out of his gaze to leave only _pity_. Alec wants the anger back. And most of all, he doesn't believe Magnus.


End file.
